When you place the instruments of a drum kit into a cross-in-a-square grid, reading and coordination can be made easier. We’ll look at two easy grooves to start off with, combining three parts of the drum kit, (which most drummers use to play a basic groove). These are notated as follows:

Groove One is played in a sequence of crotchet notes (quarter notes). A crotchet note lasts for one beat.

With your right hand drum stick (or your left hand stick if you are left banded) tap your closed hi-bat following the crosses in the square and counting ‘1 2 3 4’ as you play.

Now with your right foot, play a crotchet bass drum beat on count 1 ‘, as well as tapping your hi-hat on counts ‘1 2 3 4’ with your right hand drum stick.

Finally on count ‘3 ‘, play your left hand drum stick on the snare drum. If it helps you can ‘say as you play’ the words written under the boxes of the cross-in-a-square ‘ grid.

Once you can play all three parts of your drum kit easily play the music in the stave instead of following the ‘cross-in-a-square’ grid.